John alexander johnson



(No Model.)

J. A. JOHNSON.

ARTISTS EASEL AND ATTAGHABLE REST.

No. 396,658. Patented Jan. 22, 1889.

WI EssEs.

Attorney N. PEIERS. Pkmmhihograp'wr. wadu'n wn. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN ALEXANDER JOHNSON, OF AUSTIN, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN J. TOBIN, OF SAME PLACE.

ARTISTS EASEL AND ATTACHABLE REST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 896,658, dated January 22, 1889.

Application filed April 20, 1888. Serial No. 271,279. (No model.)

.To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHN ALEXANDER J oHNSoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Austin, in the county of Travis and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artists Easels and Attachable Rests for the Same andl do hereby declare the followiu to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention is an improvement in artists eascls; and it relates particularly to a rest for pictures or models which are to be copied or reproduced by means of the eye and hand. The rest proper is formed of several strips or bars of wood or other material so placed and secured together as to form square or angular spaces when said rest is spread for use. At the center of gravity of the rest (which may be one of the points of intersection of the bars) I. pivot an arm, which is secured to a second arm by a loop clamped by a thumb-nut. The second arm is provided with holes corresponding in size with the holes ordinarily found in the uprights of an easel, and is clamped or held to one of these uprights by means of a bolt which passes through the perforated arm and either one of the holes of the said upright. The loop employed to splice the two arms to unite the easel and the rest is in the nature of an eyebolt, serving as a swivel-connection, so that the said rest may have a 1110- tion about the axis of the shank of said eyebolt. A device somewhat similar to the bolt connecting the two arms is used to secure the holder to the outer of said arms, so that the said rest may be rotated about its axis and clamped to any desired position. 3y means of the several motions of which the rest is capable it may be raised or lowered or drawn near to the artist as a whole or any part of said rest, or the picture fixed thereto may be drawn near to the hand or the eye of the artist at his will.

In the drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of an easel and the rest secured thereto. Fig. 2 is a detail showing one of the clamping devices as applied. Fig. 3 is a detail. of the other clamping device as applied.

Similar reference-letters indicate like parts in all of the figures.

Referring to the drawings, A is the easel, composed of three uprights or legs, K K K,

the front two of which are perforated and the third hinged to the two just mentioned.

B is the rest proper, composed of several strips, a a, secured together by countersunk bolts loosely, so that the said strips, when the rest is together complete, maybe at right angles or other angles.

At 1), by means of a bolt, 11 is pivoted the arm 0, and said arm is held to the perforated arm (Z by means of the combined bolt and loop b commonly called an eye/bolt. The arm (Z is adj ustably secured at an y hole of the front uprights of the easel by a bolt, as at c.

It may be observed that at each intersection of bars a and a of the holder said bars are secured together by bolts, that serve as pivots, so that, after the lazy-tongs fashion, said holder maybe folded up into averynarrow compass. The bolt b serves as a clamp to keep the bars of the holder in position when spread open or folded. The bar c, be ing round in transverse section for the most part, readily slides into the eyeboltb, so that when the rest is folded and the bar (Z turned in line with the upright K all the parts of the said rest may lie snugly to the easel and the same may be readily closed up into a very portable package.

Itis obvious from the nature of the connections between the easel and the holder or rest that said rest may be made to assume any position in anarc of ninety degrees, for convenience of sight or advantage as to light, and at the same time be elevated to any position of vertical height, as a convenience to the horizontal line of sight.

The copy may be secured to the strips of the rest or holder by means of the well-known spring clothes-pin. 1

llavin thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination, with the rest, as described, of the bar 0, pivoted to said holder by bolt b the perforated bar d, pivoted to bar 0 by bolt b and the easel A, united to the bar (Z by a suitable round bolt, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testi mony whereof I affixmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN ALEXANDER JOHNSON. lVitnesses:

H. A. FITZHUGH,

J AMES T. WORTHAM. 

